Reaction jet system for aircraft control



Oct. l2, 1948.

w. w. WILLIAMS I 2,451,008

REACTION SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT CONTROL Filed March 26, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLIAM W. WILLIAMS l w. w. WILLIAMS 2,451,008

REACTION JET SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT CONTROL oct. 12, 194s.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March' 26. 1945 NVENTOR WlLLlAM W. WILLaAMs BY A @m0, ATTORNEYS 0d. 12, 1948. W, wf, wlLLlAMs 2,451,008

REACTION JET S`YSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT CONTROL Filed March 26, 1945 4 Sheecs-'Sheet 5 '/'2 INVENTOR WILLIAM A W. WiLLlAMs ATTORNEYS Oct. l2, 1948.

w. w. WILLIAMS REACTION JET SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT CONTROL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 26, 1945 INVENTOR Wl LLIAM W. WaLuAMs ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 12, 1948 REACTION JET SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT CONTROL William W. Williams, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Bell Aircraft Corporationyuialo, N. Y.

Application March 26, 1945, Serial No. 584,923

1 Claim. (Cl. 244--52)l This invention relates to aircraft and mor particularly to improvements in aircraft flight control means.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide improvements in pitch, roll, and yaw control means for aircraft. Another object of the invention is to provide an airplane having improved propulsion and flight control arrangements.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved control mean-s particularly for high speed aircraft whereby adverse control conditions may be more readily corrected. Another object of the invention is to provide improvements in airplane propulsion and flight control and deicing means.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved airplane control system which is less vulnerable than prior airplane control mechanisms to gun nre damage and the like. Another object of the invention is to provide improvements in airplane control systems resulting in reduction of pilot fatigue and pilot errors. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved airplane flight control means adapted to procure proper control for-ces in high performance aircraft and positivecontrol irrespective of flight speed. Other objects and advantages of the Vinvention will appear in the specification hereinafter.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan of an airplane embodying control means of the in vention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section as along line II-II of Fig. 1, showing a power unit connection detail;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of another form of power unit connection; y

Fig. 4 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of a tailless type airplane incorporating control means of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a, top plan of a complete airplane incorporating the wingand rudder arrangements of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the airplane of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective thereof;

Fig.f8 is a fragmentary perspective of a wing panel embodying lateral control means ofrthe invention as inthe case of Fig. 1;

Fig.V 9 is a vertical section a-s along line IX-v-IX of Fig. 8; l

v Fig. 10 is a view similar to'Fig. 1 showing anotherv control arrangement ofthe invention; and

Fig. l1 is a View similar to Fig. 8 of another form of lateral control means of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, for example, in Fig. 1 in an airplane of the jet or turbo-engine propulsion type wherein the airplane fuselage I2 is arranged to mount a pair of jet or turbo-engine propulsion units as indicated at I 4-I4 to provide forward propulsion of the airplane. However, it is to be understood that the invention is equally a-s applicable to single engine type aircraft, or to other multi-engine type arrangements. The wing panels l5-I 5 extending from the fuselage I2 are provided to include pressurel gas ducts IB-IB which connect as at I1 (Figs. 2 3) to. annular cuffs I8 which encircle the ,tail pipe portions 20 of the power units I4HL In Fig. 2 the tail pipe 20 is shown to terminate at a position interiorly of the cuff I8 so as to provide an annular opening 22 for diverting a portion of the gas discharge from the power `unit into the cuff I8 and thence through the connected duct IB (Fig. 1); a reduced size end jet 24 being carried by the cuff I'8 in extension of the tail pipe 20 for directing the majority of the gas blast against the atmosphere rearwardly of the power unit. Y

In Fig. 3 the tail pipe 20 isillustrated to be perforated at intervals annularly thereof as indicated at 26 within the connes of thecuff I8 whereby a portion of the power unit gas discharge may pass through the openings 26 into the cuff and thence into the connected duct IE; the tail pipe 20 terminating in a reduced size jet portion as indicated at 28 for directing the majority of the discharge gas blast rearwardly of the power unit. Thus', Figs. 2-3 illustrate alternative forms of gas discharge diversion arrangements interiorly of the cuffs I8; and it will beunderstoodthat for this purpose any suitable arrangement may be employed whereby portions of the power unit gas discharge may be diverted into duct devices as indicated at I5 for night control purposes as will be explained hereinafter.

In Fig. 1 the ducts IG-IB are arranged to extend through the interiors of the wing panels IE-I rtoconnect into slot-shaped orifices 30--30 in each of the wing tip portions; the orifices being disposed to extend chordwise of the'wing and .to be adapted to discharge pressured gases both upwardly and downwardly above and below the wing tips. Figs. 8-9 illustrate in greater detail such an arrangement of discharge orices in one of the wing tips; the upper and lower orifices being arrangedto be fed by corresponding upper and lower ducts 32-34 leading 'from a common valve chamber 35. The valve chamber 35 is in turn arranged to be fed by a duct corresponding to ES shown in Fig. l; although in Fig. 8 the feed duct is illustrated at 36 to constitute the leading edge portion of the'wing panel. However, it will be understood that the duct leading to the valve 35 may convenientll7 comprise any conduit device or the hollow interior of a box beam or leading edge primary structure of the wing panel, or the like such as may be employed to interconnect the gas take-ofi cuff I8 to the orice valving devicef Also, it will be appreciated that in anycase.

35. the passage of heated gases through the duct devices within the wing will provide direct heatlng of the wing structure such as may befben'ecially employed particularly in the wing leading edge portions to eliminate icing difculties.

The valving devices 35 are arranged to be controlled from the pilot cockpit by meansofY any suitable control devices such as cable-pulley systems as indicatedV at 38, whereby simple manipulation. of any conventional pilot control device such as.a joy stick or rotating wheel columnv or the like as indicatedat'e (Fig. 1') will4 procure selective operation of the-gas discharge orifices 3d at the wing tips. For example, the control'means 4U willV be so arranged. that wheneverl itA is disposed in its neutral attitude the valving devices 35-35 will be closed so as to prevent gas discharges through any of the'orices 36. However; upon displacement of the pilot control device 40 in such direction as would`conventionally procure rolling of the aircraft to the right, for example, the valving means' 3.5-35 of the invention will connect the upper orifice in theright hand wing panel -tip and the lowerV orifice in the left hand wing panel tip into open communication with the corresponding ducts carrying pressured gases from the propulsion units. Thus; ai. blast ofY gas will project upwardly from the'v right hand wing tip and another blast of` gas will' project downwardly from the left handwing tipso as to Droduce a reaction force couple tending'to roll the airplane to the right. Reversely, movement ofthe pilot control element lliiniy opposite-'direction will cause gas blasts to project upwardly from the left handv wing tip and downwardly from the right'hand wing tip, whereby to produce al reaction force couple tendingv to roll' the airplane to the left; thereby providing-means forlateral control of the airplane irrespective` of the forward speed of the aircraft.

Preferably, as illustrated in Figs.. 89 the ori'- ces 3G will be arranged .to direct 'their gas blasts in oblique directions. That is, the upper orices will direct their gas blasts upwardly and'forward'- ly while the lower orices will direct their'gas blasts downwardly and rearwardly; and to facili'- tate this operation the-orifices may be internally vaned' as indicated at' 4Z in Figs. 8,-9. Thus, the lateral control producing gas blasts will also provide automatically some degree of yaw producing forces which are consonant with the corresponding rolling coupleslfor directional turni purposes; andthe aircraft may thereby be steered' andl automatically properly banked incidental to' each steering maneuver bysingle manipulations of the pilot control element 40'. In such case the airplane control system may or may not includel a conventional type ruddering device in addition to the jet orices referred to hereinabove, as may be required in any'inst'ance ofarplane design.

A gas bleed'er such as a conduit Lilli (Fig. 8) may be provided in open communication with the' winer ducts and selectively controlled` from the pilot cockpit as by a valve control 45 whereby to provide continued flow of hot gases through the ducts even under orifice closed conditions. The bleeder is .may of course be arranged to discharge the heated gases at any desired points within the wing structure, or externally thereof, as may be preferred.

It is contemplated that the gas blast lateral control means of the invention may comprise either the sole lateral control means of the aircraft or may be used in conjunction with conventional la'teral control devices for emergency power-01T conditions. Hence, full spa-n length wing naps comprising elements 46-41 may be arranged so astovbe normally controlled from the cockpit in such manner ythat the flap sections 35 46 at opposite wing panels move downwardly in unison; but an overtravel mechanism may be-employed on the aileron cockpit control so as to procure diierential motions of the outboard 'apportions lil-4?! thereof'for emergency aileron control of. the aircraftfsuch as when gliding in under power-off conditions.

Iiigs.y 4;-7 inclusive'fillustrate application of: the cont-rol system. of. the'invention toga ta-illess. type airplane comprising a fuselage; 5 0 whichA houses al power.` unit 52` having* a tail pipe 5.4A and an enclosin-g cuff 5.6. for diverting a portion ofv the power um't dischargeinto ducts 58--58 built withinthe wing panel's- Ell-60 to'extendinto connection. with corresponding; gas dischargeorifices 62 in@ the wing` tips; said; orifices corresponding to thezorlfices ofFig; l., Asi-inthe case ofthe ori,- rlces of Fig. l, the.v orificesi52 willlbearranged-to discharge through the upper and lower` surfaces of the wing panels,. and' will beselectively controlled by suitable ductvalvingY devices' for lateral:` control. purposesV as explained: hereinabove; Also, in the casefof Figs. Il7ftheduct valving devices will communicate with rearwardlydirected jetsri4-64 at each wing tip; and th-educt valve deviceswill be arranged.v to: be selectively controlledssoA as to either-completely close the ducts Eil or to open themrinto gas'idischarge communication withf either they upwardly or downwardly directed oriceslZand/or the rearwardly directed orices 54. Furthermore, it is contemplated that inconnection witnthis. arrangement of the control means of the invention the jets BAS-E54. will be provided to be alternately operable toprovide suitable yawing tendencies in consonance with rollin-g couplesA produced by oppositely directed discharges through the upper and lower orifices 6'2-62 at the wing tips. Thus, the system will automatically 0r selectively produce simultaneous rolling and yawing tendencies for effectively steering the aircraft through directional turn maneuvers.

As indicated at [i5- 66V full span length -wing naps may be employed at the wingV trailing edges and controlled from the pilot cockpit in conventional manner; and the outboardwportions `{iS-66 opposite or the wingflaps may be arranged if' desired to be differentially operable fromv the pilot cockpit for emergency aileron control purposes asA explained hereinabove in connection with Fig. l. Also, conventional type rudders 6-8-681 may be employed by being mounted uponv stationary ns ESS-691 for emergency ruddering operation under power-01T conditions as explained hereinabove. In either' case, it will beunderstood that thecontrol arrangement'of' the invention provides that normally and under power-011 conditions the pilot will'` have availablev aflight control means of optimum sensitivity and ilexibility such as' does not involvethe adverse control effects of conventional moving-flap type control devices. Fig.:10 :illustrates a form of the control arrangement of the invention which isgenerally similar to that of Fig. 11 except that in the case of Fig. 10 the gas orifices are disposed to extend generally spanwise of the wing-and just ahead of the hinge lines vof thecontrol flaps lli-lll thereon. As in the case of the arrangement of Fig. 1, the control arrangement of Fig, 10 will embody dual gas orifices in each wing tip; that is, one orifice for directing a gasy discharge blast upwardly and another orice for directing a gas blast downwardly; and the duct valving devices 35-35 will be similarly arranged to permit the pilot to selectively control the gas blasts issuing from the orifices 1B so as to procure Vthe desired rolling tendencies.4 f

Fig. 11 illustrates another form of lateral con- `trol arrangement of the invention which is generally similar to the arrangements of Figs. 1 and 10 except that `in the case of Fig. 11 the gas blast orices 12 at each wing tip are disposed to extend within the leading edge portion of the wing panels in directions spanwise thereof. Thus, the gas blast orifices 12 are arranged in pairs at each wing tip; that is, one orifice will be arranged to discharge a gas blast upwardly while the other orifice is arranged to discharge a gas blast downwardly; and the associated valve device 35 will be adapted to alternately connect the upper and lower orifices in open communication with the pressured gas ducts 36, as in the case of Fig. 8.

In operation, when at relatively low altitudes where a denser atmosphere is met whenever the valving devices 35--35 are pilot-actuated, for example, so as to procure discharge of pressured gas through the upper orifice in the left hand wing tip, the gas issuing therefrom will be injected under the airstream flowing over the upper surface of the wing tip (throughout the span of the orifice l2) in such manner as to feed the partial vacuum therebetween and perhaps to set up a condition of turbulence therein, thereby decreasing the lift effects on the left hand wing tip. At the same time, the valving device 35 in the right hand wing tip will have been operated so as to procure discharge of pressured gas through the bottom orifice 'l2 of the right hand wing tip, and this will result in bolstering the positive pressure forces of the relative airstream against the bottom surface of the right hand wing tip. The result will be a force couple tending to roll the airplane to the left; and reversely, when the pilot control device is actuated so as to open the bottom left hand orifice and the top right hand orifice a reversely directed force couple will be generated to roll the airplane to the right.

A particular feature and advantage of the control arrangement of the invention over prior art moving-flap control devices for example is that in the case of the invention the reaction producing gas blasts may be so controlled and regulated as t initiate rolling moments with utmost smoothness and without adverse control characteristics such as almost invariably accompany actuation of the prior vart control devices.

As distinguished from'the operationV of the control arrangement of Fig. 11, the operation of the control arrangement of Fig. is productive of somewhat different results in that it procures the rolling moments referred to hereinabove largely as the result of gas jet reactions against the atmosphere layers externally of the wing panels, whereas in the arrangement of Fig. 11 the control effects are'obtained more indirectly by modifying the nature of the relative airstream'flow past the upper and lower wing surfaces. The arrangement of Fig. 11 will be more adaptable forv luse under relatively high speed flight conditions, a1- though the valving mechanismY thereof may be so regulated asto also procure/suitable control effects ofthe jet reaction type even under low speed flight conditions. .The arrangementof Fig; 10 may in some cases possess the advantage of providing lesser overall drag than in the caseof the arrangement of Fig. 1l; but the arrangement of Fig. 11' possesses the` advantage ofV providing maximum control effects in return for minimum power expenditures.

The invention .also'contemplates that suitable. differential mechanisms vmay be included in the pilot control means for the duct valving devices whereby the gas orifices at the right and left hand Wing tips may simultaneously project gas blasts either upwardly or downwardly from the wing tips, thereby providing aircraft pitch controll forces independentvof lateral*y control. operation thereof. Thus, depending upon the longitudinal position of the gas jets relative to the longitudinal position of the aircraft pitch axis, downward Y blasts from both wing tips will cause the airplane to pitch either upwardly (asin the arrangement of Fig. l) or downwardly (as in the arrangement of Figs. 4 7) and in any case the need for additional conventional type elevator control means will be thereby eliminated. However, as explained hereinabove, it is contemplated that the jet type control devices of the invention may be effectively employed as adjuncts to conventional type pitch yaw and roll control flaps orV the like; and that in such cases the conventional type control flaps may be provided of smaller than usual dimensions because the combined operations of such flaps and associated jets will procure adequate control effects evenvunder minimum flight speed conditions.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the control means of the invention provides numerous advantages such as positive control regardless of flight speed, as well as improved inode of control force developments such as may be corrective of adverse control conditions normally encountered. Also, the control system of the inventionfmay be so constructed as to be less vulnerable to gun lre damage than mechanical or hydraulic type control mechanisms of the prior art, and inasmuch as the control means of the invention may be constructed so as to automatically provide suitable combinations of rolling and yawing moments the invention may result in reduction of pilot fatigue and pilot errors. Also, the control system of the invention permits the use at the wing trailing edges of full span length flaps; and the jet supply ducts may be so arranged within the wing panels as to provide efcient icing prevention effects incidental to the primary control functions thereof.

Another important feature and advantage of the invention is that the gas jet type control system of the invention may be installed as a natural adjunct to the propulsion unit or units in jet or turbine powered. aircraft. It is estimated, for example, that the energy momentarily required for lateral control purposes when using jet devices ofK the invention would not exceed 10% of the total output of the aircraft jet or turbine power unit, and that the weight of the gas ducts within the wing panels when used for de-icing purposesswonld not. exceed: the weight of. conventional elastic bootI type cie-icing equipment.

It willbe appreciated that4 although only afew of" the possible; applications of the invention have been shown and descrbedjin detail various other applications maybe effected-j and that various changes may.v be made in: the structures illustrated and described hereinabove Without departingf from the spirit. of thev invention and the scope. ofthe following claim.

lln.- an aircraft, in: combination, a. jet propulsion power unit a. tail pipe for directing the gas discharge from saidY power unit rear Wardly of said aircraft for motivating said aircraft and ar reaction night control device for rotating the. aircraft1 about. aight control axis thereof, saidV control device comprising a pair of jets' each of which is` disposed to receive a gas blast from said tail pipe andzto direct it upwardly, a.; pair of jets. each of which is' disposed to direct a. gas; blast downwardly, said paired jets being disposed exteriorly' ofv the. aircraft at positions REFERENCES CITED- The following references are of record in thele of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,879,717 Sikorsky, Sept. 27, 1932 2,085,761 Lysholm July 6, 1937.'

FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryA Date 11,784 GreatBritain 1911 

